Urgent News
Urgent Virginia Horse Council Action Alert: Senate Sunday Hunting Bills Scheduled for Thursday, January 19th, 2012
We need as many letters and phone calls made to the Senate Ag committee before Thursday, January 19th, 2012, at 2:00pm. Additionally, we need as many people as possible to come to Richmond to show your support with those opposing Sunday hunting this Thursday. We plan to meet at the General Assembly building at 1:45 to attend the 2:00 Senate Ag. Committee meeting where the issue will be discussed. The pro Sunday hunting group is supposedly planning on having a large contingent of their supporters in attendance and we must be sure our side is seen and heard.
Below is an email send out by Virginia Farm Bureau to request that their members help us in this cause as well. Both the Virginia Farm Bureau and the Virginia Agribusiness Council are working to help us keep our Sundays safe from hunters. In addition to the information below, attached is the position paper prepared by the Virginia Horse Council and directions to the GAB (General Assembly Building in Richmond) and parking information. Please share this with anyone who opposes Sunday hunting. Also, please respond to this email with information about which Senators you have contacted and if you can come to Richmond tomorrow. Thank you so much for your help. Together we can make a difference.
Urgent Action Alert Update: Senate Sunday Hunting Bills Scheduled for Thursday
Please continue to contact the House and Senate Ag Committee members to speak out against Sunday Hunting.
We have just found out that the three Senate bills on Sunday Hunting are on the docket and may be heard as early as Thursday, January 19, in the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee. If you have not finished responding to this action request from Friday, please continue with special emphasis on Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee.
There are eight pro-Sunday hunting bills currently introduced for consideration during this year's session. Four separate general ideas are being proposed.
ACTION:
Please contact members of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees to speak out against Sunday hunting. We need EVERYONE to contact the legislators on House or Senate Agriculture Committees whether you are a constituent or not. The legislators on these committees are receiving mass numbers of e-mails in support of Sunday hunting. Therefore, the best counter to this approach is personalized e-mails from Virginia farmers. We recognize this will take some of your time to respond but it is the most effective use of your time if we are going to be successful in defeating these bills. You should be able to click on the legislators e-mail address and it will automatically address an e-mail and you can send a personal note to them. This means that you will need to send individual emails to each legislator.
Below is pre-written message you may copy and paste into your e-mail to send to these legislators, but we highly recommend that you create your own personal message from the information below. A personal message based on your feelings and experiences is more effective!
Below are the e-mail addresses for these legislators:
House (Delegates):
Senate (Senators):
Dear Sen./Del. (Name),
I own a ___________ operation in ________ County, and I am a Virginia Farm Bureau member. I oppose Sunday hunting. As a farmer, days off are few and far between, so I would like to be able to walk around on my property and farm without the fear of hunters for at least one day out of the week. (Optional sentence: I also believe Sundays are to be recognized as a day of rest and worship for the families of Virginia.) Many families take Sundays to spend time together talking walks in Virginia's beautiful wooded areas to enjoy Mother Nature, riding horses and other recreational outdoor activities. It would be nice if families could enjoy these activities peacefully without the worry and noise of hunters.
We would like to share with you responses to some of the arguments from our opposition:
Will allowing hunting on Sunday increase the number of hunters?
There is no definitive evidence that indicates allowing hunting on Sunday will increase the number of hunters. The same number of hunters will simply adjust their schedules to hunt when the conditions are suitable to their individual desires.
Shouldn’t Virginia follow other states by allowing hunting on Sunday?
Other states allow a variety of methods and practices for hunting that are not allowed in Virginia (e.g. baiting and others). There is no reason to conform our laws to other states and no reason to turn away from traditions like family, farming and the use of the outdoors by all citizens in favor of an expanded opportunity for a few.
Will allowing hunting on Sunday affect the number of wildlife?
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries staff have stated that hunting on Sunday will not impact the population of wildlife, which also means there will be no significant relief of crop damage from wildlife by hunting on Sunday. Game department staff consistently cite that there is no biological reason not to hunt on Sunday because wildlife has no concept to the day of week; however, wildlife learn habits of hunters and avoid them by feeding at night and other times.
Will allowing hunting on Sunday increase tourism or economic activity?
It is impossible to judge whether hunting on Sunday will lead to more tourism and economic activity; most traveling hunters are willing and have the means to take time off from work to do so.
Will this encourage more youth to start hunting?
We question the assertion that there will be an increase in youth hunting as a result of Sunday hunting. With ever-increasing demands on young people’s time for various activities (school, sports, religious, etc.), allowing hunting on Sundays is not likely to increase the number of younger hunters. Currently, the core of the hunting season is dictated by school holidays in November and December and, therefore, allowing hunting on Sundays will not lead to a significant increase in youth hunting.
We do not believe that any alleged benefits from Sunday hunting outweigh the concerns for changing this moratorium on Sunday hunting. Our arguments have remained the same for many years. We ask you to please vote against allowing Sunday hunting in Virginia.
Thank you,
(Your name)
Please continue to contact the House and Senate Ag Committee members to speak out against Sunday Hunting.
We have just found out that the three Senate bills on Sunday Hunting are on the docket and may be heard as early as Thursday, January 19, in the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee. If you have not finished responding to this action request from Friday, please continue with special emphasis on Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee.
There are eight pro-Sunday hunting bills currently introduced for consideration during this year's session. Four separate general ideas are being proposed.
- Allow hunting on Sunday on both public and private land. HB921 (Lingamfelter), SB151(Puckett), SB464 (Northam) and SB512 (Wagner) are in that category.
- Allow Sunday hunting on private land with permission of landowner. HB369 (Webert) and SB 173 (Petersen) are examples of this.
- Allow hunting on Sunday or private land in the counties of Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudon, and Prince William. This will likely be amended to be a local option bill. HB 1002 (Ramadan) proposes it for the listed localities.
- HB 989 (Morefield) allows for hunting on Sunday between the hours of 2 p.m. and sunset.
ACTION:
Please contact members of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees to speak out against Sunday hunting. We need EVERYONE to contact the legislators on House or Senate Agriculture Committees whether you are a constituent or not. The legislators on these committees are receiving mass numbers of e-mails in support of Sunday hunting. Therefore, the best counter to this approach is personalized e-mails from Virginia farmers. We recognize this will take some of your time to respond but it is the most effective use of your time if we are going to be successful in defeating these bills. You should be able to click on the legislators e-mail address and it will automatically address an e-mail and you can send a personal note to them. This means that you will need to send individual emails to each legislator.
Below is pre-written message you may copy and paste into your e-mail to send to these legislators, but we highly recommend that you create your own personal message from the information below. A personal message based on your feelings and experiences is more effective!
Below are the e-mail addresses for these legislators:
House (Delegates):
Senate (Senators):
| Black | Richard | Senate Ag | district13@senate.virginia.gov |
| Blevins | Harry | Senate Ag | district14@senate.virginia.gov |
| Ebbin | Adam | Senate Ag | district30@senate.virginia.gov |
| Hanger | Emmett | Senate Ag | district24@senate.virginia.gov |
| Marsden | David | Senate Ag | district37@senate.virginia.gov |
| McEachin | A. Donald | Senate Ag | district09@senate.virginia.gov |
| Miller | John | Senate Ag | district01@senate.virginia.gov |
| Northam | Ralph | Senate Ag | district06@senate.virginia.gov |
| Obenshain | Mark | Senate Ag | district26@senate.virginia.gov |
| Petersen | Chapman | Senate Ag | district34@senate.virginia.gov |
| Puckett | Phillip | Senate Ag | district38@senate.virginia.gov |
| Ruff | Frank | Senate Ag | district15@senate.virginia.gov |
| Stanley | Bill | Senate Ag | district20@senate.virginia.gov |
| Stuart | Richard | Senate Ag | district28@senate.virginia.gov |
| Watkins | John | Senate Ag | district10@senate.virginia.gov |
Dear Sen./Del. (Name),
I own a ___________ operation in ________ County, and I am a Virginia Farm Bureau member. I oppose Sunday hunting. As a farmer, days off are few and far between, so I would like to be able to walk around on my property and farm without the fear of hunters for at least one day out of the week. (Optional sentence: I also believe Sundays are to be recognized as a day of rest and worship for the families of Virginia.) Many families take Sundays to spend time together talking walks in Virginia's beautiful wooded areas to enjoy Mother Nature, riding horses and other recreational outdoor activities. It would be nice if families could enjoy these activities peacefully without the worry and noise of hunters.
We would like to share with you responses to some of the arguments from our opposition:
Will allowing hunting on Sunday increase the number of hunters?
There is no definitive evidence that indicates allowing hunting on Sunday will increase the number of hunters. The same number of hunters will simply adjust their schedules to hunt when the conditions are suitable to their individual desires.
Shouldn’t Virginia follow other states by allowing hunting on Sunday?
Other states allow a variety of methods and practices for hunting that are not allowed in Virginia (e.g. baiting and others). There is no reason to conform our laws to other states and no reason to turn away from traditions like family, farming and the use of the outdoors by all citizens in favor of an expanded opportunity for a few.
Will allowing hunting on Sunday affect the number of wildlife?
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries staff have stated that hunting on Sunday will not impact the population of wildlife, which also means there will be no significant relief of crop damage from wildlife by hunting on Sunday. Game department staff consistently cite that there is no biological reason not to hunt on Sunday because wildlife has no concept to the day of week; however, wildlife learn habits of hunters and avoid them by feeding at night and other times.
Will allowing hunting on Sunday increase tourism or economic activity?
It is impossible to judge whether hunting on Sunday will lead to more tourism and economic activity; most traveling hunters are willing and have the means to take time off from work to do so.
Will this encourage more youth to start hunting?
We question the assertion that there will be an increase in youth hunting as a result of Sunday hunting. With ever-increasing demands on young people’s time for various activities (school, sports, religious, etc.), allowing hunting on Sundays is not likely to increase the number of younger hunters. Currently, the core of the hunting season is dictated by school holidays in November and December and, therefore, allowing hunting on Sundays will not lead to a significant increase in youth hunting.
We do not believe that any alleged benefits from Sunday hunting outweigh the concerns for changing this moratorium on Sunday hunting. Our arguments have remained the same for many years. We ask you to please vote against allowing Sunday hunting in Virginia.
Thank you,
(Your name)